The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-04-07
manitomoc pilot.
TOMBS NEAR POMPEII.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF VERY REoE

INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF A VERY RECENT
DISCOVERY.
In the year 172O the digging of we'll
revealed the existence of the ancient city
OF Herculaneum beneath the modern
towns of Rosini and Portici. The same
operation on the part of the owner of a
| vineyard situated some distance to the
east of the amphitheatre of Pompeii led
to the discovery, about six weeks ago, of
a street Of tombs running in direct line
| from Pompeii to Nocera. Taking ad-
vantage of the visit of an archaeological
| friend of mine. who had just returned
| from scientific tour to Pergan1on, &C.
companied him and Professor Sagliano,
| director of the excavations, to visit the
| newly discovered ruins.
| The little space at present dug out has
| brought to light, deep below the surface
| of the ground, tolerabiy wide and well
made ancient road, of a kind of macadam
construction, slightly arched in the cen
| ter so as to allow the rain water to run
| off, and with a low earthly bank on
| either side, on the top of which are the
| seven tombs recently eXcavated, four on
| one side and three on the other. This
| road runs nearly due east in the direction
| from Pompaii to Nocera, the portion
now excavated. lying about 1000 feet
| from the Pompeiian amphitheatre, and
| 1t Is supposed that when it is all eXcavat
| ed back to Pompei city gate will be
| found at its commencement. 1t is also
| not improbable that near the city it will
| be found to be paved with lava, like the
| celebrated street Of Tombs on the west
| ern side.
UNDER PUMICE STONES
Should the whole be found to be as
closely lined with tombs as Is the portion
laid bare, it will be one of the most i'm
per ant discoveries lately made IN this
part Of the world. Unfortunately money
is wanting and the excavation is going
| on but slowly. The ancient level of the
| -treet being here very low, the road is
| first covered to the depth of ten or fifteen
feet with pumice stones elected from
| Nesuvlus during the great eruption of
| 1872 Then comes thin layer Of ashes;
then again stratum Of pumice about
ten inches thick, another thin layer Of
ashes; then again a stratum of pumice
about ten inches thick, another line of
ashes, and over all earth several feet
deep. Just below this upper earth were
| found seven large statues, which had
| evidently snrmounted the tombs beneath.
On the road itself can be seen the slight
depressions or ruts caused by the wheels
f passing web cles. The tombs are
erected on a straight line on either side,
and where one ia set rather back it has q
low stone balustrade, which keeps the
line and extends beyond the tomb, pro
baby inclosing a space purchased for
subsequent tombs, and then the next
tomb Is again built forward on the origi-
nal line. Thus this little portion Of ex-
cavated street has neat and symmetri-
cal appearance.
The first tomb excavated, being tie
one nearest to Pompeii on the north side
Of the road, is covered with rude inscrip-
tons painted in red, one of which is no
table; it is an advertisement apprisir g
the passers by that runaway horse has
been found of such size and color, ard
that the owner may have it by applying
to a smith from Nocsra, at the bridge
over the Sarno, toward Stabin. In fact,
such inscriptions are found on all the
tombs, which have evidently served as q
public newspaper on the thickly fire.
quented road. There are besides many
graphites. One person has scratched
bis name, with the word Remember
beneath. In one the letter V is very in
teresting, from the fact that il is marked
with dot in the fork of the V, which is
a "Reminiscences of the Oscar character.
THE INSCRIPTIONS.
Nearly all the rudeIy traced inscrip-
tons (Which of course have nothing to
| 70 IL ho
BILE slabs, that denote the name and
| Qualities of the deceased) relate to No
cera, showing the influence of that neigh
boring town on Pompeii. One of the
| marble inscriptions gives to Nocera the
| surname of Constantia, III relation to its
| faitAfuiness-a surname, L believe, seen
| herein this connection for the first time.
| One of the tOmbs had been surmOuntcd
| Oh It's four corners with stone pineappies,
| Interesting as suggestive of this style of
| decoration as noticed III the immense
! o'ug.e pineapple said to have crowned
! Hadrlau's tomb in Rome. 1t is curious
nat in the inches of one OF the tombs
! stand two small heaistone5 instead Of
urns.
| The statues, cinerary urns, loose mar
| bic tablets, skulls and bones have been
| deposited IN the room Of a country cot
| age hand by, al except one statue,
| which lies prone upon tie ground near
| the excavation, and serves, by string
| passed round its neck, to hold fast the
| end Of a ragged canvas stretched on
| "a small tree IS a shelter from the sun-a
menial office 70 which, no doubt, the
| man who was of sufficient consideration
10 have statue never dreamed that his
| effigy would be degraded The full
length statues are all portraits, and evil
IDENTIFY very good ones, for each of the
faces is highly characteristic. One cid
er'y male figure has fine head and the
mouth of an orator; another is hand
some young man of Grecian type; one is
a dignitied, old woman, grave with years
and honors, with deep lines at the cor
ners of the very peculiar aud firmly pres
sed lips, and style of dressing the hair
which reminds one of the statues of Ii
| via, Then there are, besides a middle
| aged and young woman of smoother
countenances, the latter with small rather
pointed end pinched features. On the
hair of one of the male statues there are
traces of color, and, as the figures are
sculptured rather roughly in stone, the
| style resembling that of Capua, it ia
possible that the whole figure was once
covered with paint. [ forgot to say that
all the tomhs found are those of freed
men.-Naples Cor. London News.
|
BUCKLIN'S ARNICA SALVE.